Kress Fellowship in Photographs Conservation
The Art Institute of Chicago
2015-2016
The Art Institute of Chicago is a world-renowned art museum housing one of the largest permanent collections in the United States. It is encyclopedic in nature with strong holdings across all media, all traditions and all ages. The Art Institute is particularly recognized for its extraordinary Impressionist, Modern, Contemporary and American collections, among other aspects of its holdings. In addition to housing its permanent collection, it typically stages 35-40 special exhibitions a year. In 2014, it was named by Trip Advisor travelers as the number one museum in the world, a remarkable recognition that speaks not only to the quality of the collection but to the entirety of the visitor experience. The Art Institute welcomes between 1,400,000 and 1,800,000 visitors a year and has a membership of 100,000. The museum has an annual operating budget of approximately $110 million. Founded in 1879, the Art Institute grew with the success of Chicago and quickly attained world class stature given the strength of its collection. The Art Institute has expanded several times in its history, most recently and notably with the opening in 2009 of the 264,000 square foot Modern Wing designed by internationally acclaimed architect Renzo Piano. The addition has been critically important to the museum as it not only provided much needed gallery space, but also allowed the Art Institute to reorganize its galleries to present the collection in a more logical and accessible fashion. The new addition also includes one of the largest education facilities at any museum and this center has allowed the Art Institute to expand its already impressive array of offerings.
The Art Institute of Chicago is accepting applications for a nine-month, full-time FAIC Samuel H. Kress Conservation Fellowship in the Conservation of Photographs, starting September 1, 2015. The focus of the Kress Fellowship will be on the conservation of the Alfred Stieglitz Collection in the Department of Photography, in preparation for an online publication that will follow the Online Scholarly Catalogue Initiative (OSCI) model. This Fellowship has been supported by a grant from the Foundation of the American Institute for Conservation, funded by the Samuel H. Kress Foundation.
The Fellowship will afford the successful candidate the opportunity to expand his or her knowledge of photographic materials. The Fellow will undertake an in-depth examination and analysis of the photographs as well as their conservation treatments when needed. Instrumental analysis will be available through the Conservation Science Department of the Art Institute of Chicago. In addition, the Fellow will participate in the day-to-day operations of the conservation lab in the Department of Photography and professional outreach activities, gaining the experience of working in a large museum with an encyclopedic collection.
The successful candidate will have a completed MA degree from a conservation program. Candidates with relevant training and experience in the conservation of photographs are preferred.
Application deadline: June 30, 2015
Fellowship start date: September 1, 2015
Full-time, 35 hours/week, 9-month position
The Fellow will be supervised by the Conservator, and will work closely with other staff in the Department of Photography.
For fullest consideration, apply on-line at https://hrweb.artic.edu/recruit/applyjob.html.
Please submit CV, letter of intent, and 3 references (all as one attachment).
The Art Institute of Chicago is an equal opportunity, equal access employer fully committed to achieving a diverse workforce.